Recorded in several spellings as shown below, this is a surname of Irish and Scottish origins. However spelt ii is a developed form of the pre 10th century Old Gaelic personal name Fearchar, meaing "beloved person". In the modern idiom, the spellings include Farahar, Farguar, Faraker, Faragher, Farragher, Farguhar and Forker. In Ireland the clan are said to be almost exclusive to the counties of Mayo and Galway, and in the form of Fraher, in County Cork. As a Scottish clan, they descend from the Laird of Macintosh who came from Braemar in circa 1382. An example of the name recordings is that of Ann Faragher, the daughter of James Faragher and Biddy Moran who was baptised on the May 13th 1864 at Castlebar, County Mayo. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Andro Farchare. He is given as being the burgess of Are, and dated 1450 in Ayreshire, Scotland. This was during the reign of King James 11nd of Scotland, 1437 - 1460. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was sometimes known as the Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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